17 Year Old Stabbed His Twin Sister To Death While She Slept | The Case of Meghan Elliott
Related videos
One of Canadas Most Horrifying Cases | The Disappearance of Tori Stafford
Annie Elise
86.9k views
17-Year-Old Girl Killed While Her Baby Slept Next to Her | The Case of Candace Hiltz
Annie Elise
107.3k views
Millionaire Husband Tries To Kill His Wife Multiple Times | The Case of Sergio and Tatiana Pino
Annie Elise
25.6k views
Vanished on Camera | The Case of Jennifer Kesse
Annie Elise
117.2k views
Five Friends Team Up to Murder Friend’s Ex | The Case of Seath Jackson
Annie Elise
243.0k views
Murdered While on Facetime with His Daughter | The Case of Nick Cordova
Annie Elise
289.7k views
She Went for a Jog and Never Came Home | The Case of Mollie Tibbetts
Annie Elise
217.3k views
Casey Anthony 2.0, He Googled How to Kill, & 7-Year-Old Girl Faces Off With Her Monster
Annie Elise
261.2k views
The Most Twisted Family You’ll Ever Hear Of | The Coleman Case
Annie Elise
497.1k views
If I Can’t Have You No One Will: The Mysterious Death of Kendy Howard
Annie Elise
251.5k views
The Sleepwalking Twin Trial: Benjamin Elliott's 15-Year Murder Sentence
Discover the controversial evidence that led a jury to convict Benjamin Elliott of murdering his twin sister, despite his strong defense claiming the act occurred during a deep sleepwalking episode. Learn why scientific fact seemingly dismantled the nightmare defense and what sentence the judge imposed.
Short Summary
- The court determined Benjamin Elliott intentionally murdered his twin sister, Megan, rejecting the highly unusual sleepwalking defense.
- Prosecution countered the defense by presenting scientific data showing sleepwalking and dreaming cannot occur simultaneously, contradicting Ben’s testimony.
- Key evidence included Ben’s fixation on the specific survival knife used and his digital footprint moments before the attack.
- The judge ultimately sentenced Ben to 15 years in prison, reflecting leniency requested by both the jury and Ben’s family.
This summary orients the reader to a complex true crime case involving family tragedy, novel legal defense arguments, and forensic science. Understanding the breakdown of the sleepwalking defense is crucial for assessing accountability in cases involving impaired consciousness.
Unlock all features
FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.
Unlock all features
FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.
Unlock all features
FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.
Unlock all features
FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.
Unlock all features
FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.
Related videos
One of Canadas Most Horrifying Cases | The Disappearance of Tori Stafford
Annie Elise
86.9k views
17-Year-Old Girl Killed While Her Baby Slept Next to Her | The Case of Candace Hiltz
Annie Elise
107.3k views
Millionaire Husband Tries To Kill His Wife Multiple Times | The Case of Sergio and Tatiana Pino
Annie Elise
25.6k views
Vanished on Camera | The Case of Jennifer Kesse
Annie Elise
117.2k views
Five Friends Team Up to Murder Friend’s Ex | The Case of Seath Jackson
Annie Elise
243.0k views
Murdered While on Facetime with His Daughter | The Case of Nick Cordova
Annie Elise
289.7k views
She Went for a Jog and Never Came Home | The Case of Mollie Tibbetts
Annie Elise
217.3k views
Casey Anthony 2.0, He Googled How to Kill, & 7-Year-Old Girl Faces Off With Her Monster
Annie Elise
261.2k views
The Most Twisted Family You’ll Ever Hear Of | The Coleman Case
Annie Elise
497.1k views
If I Can’t Have You No One Will: The Mysterious Death of Kendy Howard
Annie Elise
251.5k views
Top Comments (10)
This episode really struck a chord with me. My twin sons both used to sleepwalk, and there was one night — they were around 9 — when one of them was wandering the living room crying and holding a knife. We have a two story home with the bedrooms upstairs, so he went downstairs got a knife and was walking around. We have security cameras, and watching the footage later was haunting: he’d pick it up, set it down, pick it up again, all while crying as if he were struggling with something in a dream. When we found him and woke him, he was completely unaware of what had happened. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. Things have improved as they’ve grown, but for a long time afterward we kept the knives out of reach. And like the Elliot family, I’ve never spoken with a doctor about it. Hearing this story brought all of that flooding back.
I'd never fault anyone for getting a lawyer in a situation like this. Getting a lawyer was just the smart thing to do.
You can be dreaming while you’re sleep walking. My son got up at 3am and put his uniform on and went out to his car to drive to his job a at Taco Bell. Thank God we caught him before he could drive off! When we told him what happened the next morning he didn’t remember walking around, but said he was dreaming that he was late for work.
Whoever said you can't dream while sleep walking is not a sleep walker. I once dreamed I was holding onto a railing going pee, I was actually in my kitchen clutching the trash can and going pee. I found out the next morning when my incredulous partner told me. And I am a lifelong sleep walker. It absolutely is possible.
My deceased husband had a college roommate who did sleepwalk. As his roommate was a hunter, he had a gun (illegally and unknowingly) in the room. One night he and others in the room woke up to this guy sleepwalking with the gun in his hands. They were all terrified as they were unable to waken him. After that, the gun was locked away and he did not have a key. I believe that in this case it is completely possible that he was indeed sleepwalking.
I'm not convinced that Drs/scientists are too knowledgeable about sleep cycles and all the possible types of neurological/physiological activities that occur simultaneously 😅... My boyfriend sleepwalks/talks (or rather, gestures/moves and talks but doesn't technically walk around the house) and refused to believe me until I recorded him. It doesn't even really seem like he's dreaming, he says/does things that are repeats of his day - instructing people at work with the hand signals and even using their names. Sometimes he'll just sit up and ask "what's for dinner?" Then go back to sleep etc. He never has any memory of it but refuses to see a Dr. My mom, also, used to sleepwalk/sleep-talk - her entire morning routine, sometimes with occasional items misplaced (like sugar in the fridge/milk in the cabinet after brewing + making a cup off coffee). None of her Drs believed her or considered it serious until she had a stroke and was diagnosed with a massive tumor(the size of a grapefruit) in her left fronto-temporal lobes 😓. I wonder whether this guy has had any sort of brain imaging scans
I'm always shocked when people get upset or think it shows guilt when you exercise your legal rights. Given how often wrongful convictions happen and all the issues with LE, you better get an attorney asap no matter what. It's your RIGHT!
Imagine living your life knowing that you had murdered your beloved sister, while you were asleep, beyond your control… TERRIFYING! How would you ever sleep next to your wife?!!? In your home with your children?!!? Poor, poor young man! 😮
People can 100% sleepwalk while dreaming I’ve seen people do it.
Getting a lawyer is Exactly what they should of done.
Unlock the Data Inside
Turn Videos into Knowledge
- Get FREE 10/day: transcripts, summaries, chats
- Chat with videos, export text & PDF
- $1 free API credit for RAG, chatbots & research
Free forever plan • All features unlocked
Top Comments (10)
This episode really struck a chord with me. My twin sons both used to sleepwalk, and there was one night — they were around 9 — when one of them was wandering the living room crying and holding a knife. We have a two story home with the bedrooms upstairs, so he went downstairs got a knife and was walking around. We have security cameras, and watching the footage later was haunting: he’d pick it up, set it down, pick it up again, all while crying as if he were struggling with something in a dream. When we found him and woke him, he was completely unaware of what had happened. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. Things have improved as they’ve grown, but for a long time afterward we kept the knives out of reach. And like the Elliot family, I’ve never spoken with a doctor about it. Hearing this story brought all of that flooding back.
I'd never fault anyone for getting a lawyer in a situation like this. Getting a lawyer was just the smart thing to do.
You can be dreaming while you’re sleep walking. My son got up at 3am and put his uniform on and went out to his car to drive to his job a at Taco Bell. Thank God we caught him before he could drive off! When we told him what happened the next morning he didn’t remember walking around, but said he was dreaming that he was late for work.
Whoever said you can't dream while sleep walking is not a sleep walker. I once dreamed I was holding onto a railing going pee, I was actually in my kitchen clutching the trash can and going pee. I found out the next morning when my incredulous partner told me. And I am a lifelong sleep walker. It absolutely is possible.
My deceased husband had a college roommate who did sleepwalk. As his roommate was a hunter, he had a gun (illegally and unknowingly) in the room. One night he and others in the room woke up to this guy sleepwalking with the gun in his hands. They were all terrified as they were unable to waken him. After that, the gun was locked away and he did not have a key. I believe that in this case it is completely possible that he was indeed sleepwalking.
I'm not convinced that Drs/scientists are too knowledgeable about sleep cycles and all the possible types of neurological/physiological activities that occur simultaneously 😅... My boyfriend sleepwalks/talks (or rather, gestures/moves and talks but doesn't technically walk around the house) and refused to believe me until I recorded him. It doesn't even really seem like he's dreaming, he says/does things that are repeats of his day - instructing people at work with the hand signals and even using their names. Sometimes he'll just sit up and ask "what's for dinner?" Then go back to sleep etc. He never has any memory of it but refuses to see a Dr. My mom, also, used to sleepwalk/sleep-talk - her entire morning routine, sometimes with occasional items misplaced (like sugar in the fridge/milk in the cabinet after brewing + making a cup off coffee). None of her Drs believed her or considered it serious until she had a stroke and was diagnosed with a massive tumor(the size of a grapefruit) in her left fronto-temporal lobes 😓. I wonder whether this guy has had any sort of brain imaging scans
I'm always shocked when people get upset or think it shows guilt when you exercise your legal rights. Given how often wrongful convictions happen and all the issues with LE, you better get an attorney asap no matter what. It's your RIGHT!
Imagine living your life knowing that you had murdered your beloved sister, while you were asleep, beyond your control… TERRIFYING! How would you ever sleep next to your wife?!!? In your home with your children?!!? Poor, poor young man! 😮
People can 100% sleepwalk while dreaming I’ve seen people do it.
Getting a lawyer is Exactly what they should of done.